A school that earned a last-minute reprieve after parents and pupils took to the streets is set to close.

The M.E.N. can reveal that St George’s RC High, in Walkden, Salford, will shut in August next year.

A letter handed to parents on Friday confirmed the news.

The letter, signed by the chair of governors, states that the 600-pupil facility will merge with the new St Ambrose Barlow High School. The move is likely to come as a huge blow to everyone who backed the three-year crusade to keep St George’s open.

Salford council voted to close it in 2009, but, after a number of protest marches, an independent school adjudicator ruled it should stay open.

Last year, the threat of closure returned after an education assessment body recommended it should merge with neighbouring Harrop Fold High to form a multi-faith school.

Officials had vowed to fight on.

It reads: “There comes a time in many people’s lives when an occasion arises which requires a difficult decision to be taken in order to take advantage of that window of opportunity.

The governors of St George’s were in that position in the last few days of last term. They met on Monday 7 January to discuss at length and eventually take a very difficult and important decision.

“The governors took the decision to agree to allow the monies allocated to St George’s to be spent, along with additional monies, to build an extension to the new St Ambrose Barlow High School that will eventually accommodate all of St George’s pupils.

It is expected that some of our pupils will be offered a place in the new St Ambrose Barlow High School as early as this September.

“It is expected that by July 2014 the new buildings will be completed at St Ambrose Barlow in Wardley and all the remaining pupils will be offered a place at the school. St George’s will therefore close in August 2014.”

The letter states that funding issues arose after cuts to the government’s Building Schools for the Future initiative. Staff were said to be ‘very surprised’ by the news. Salford Diocese was unavailable for comment.